Design Patterns for Creativity

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Design Patterns for Creativity Design Patterns for Practical Creativity Towards Innovation Petros Georgiakakis & Symeon Retalis ITisART - Interactive Technologies for ART and Education 4, Platonos Street, 18535, Piraeus, Greece [email protected] University of Piraeus, Department of Digital Systems, 80 Karaoli & Dimitriou, 18534 Piraeus, Greece [email protected] Fostering Creativity According to Wikipedia creativity is “a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or problem solutions, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts”. Creativity towards innovation in product development settings are often used interchangeably. Innovation and creative product development refer to completely new as well as significantly improved products, processes or methods. Creativity techniques have been developed by both academia and industry to shift a person's mental state into one that fosters creativity. Michalko (2006) in his book presents the various creativity techniques that have been proposed in the Oslo Manual which is the foremost international source of guidelines for the collection and use of data on innovation activities in industry (OECD, 2005). Several other web resources contain guidelines and examples of creativity techniques (e.g. http://www.brainstorming.co.uk/tutorials/ or http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_CT.htm) in effort to train and guide individuals and teams which technique to choose and how apply them. Of course, it is well known that “design patterns are potentially more general than existing guidelines, use more specific examples, deliberately scope their context of application, and explicitly reflect particular values” (Dearden and Finlay, 2006). Thus, the scope of this paper is to propose two design patterns for two well known creativity techniques, namely the Six Hats technique and the SCAMPER technique. The ultimate goal is to create a pattern language about the various creativity techniques that promote collaboration for innovation. This is actually the context of our current research and development work within the EU funded idSpace project (http://idspace-project.org). In the idSpace project we investigate the collaborative development process of innovative products, and it should be best supported by a groupware system, a system that is computer-based and supports two or more users engaged in a common task, and that provides an interface to a shared environment. In our attempt to aid the groupware systems designers, we needed to cooperate with experts who know about creativity, innovative product development processes and computer supported collaborative D1 - 1 corporative learning, as well as with application domain specialists environment (e.g. aerospace industry) who apply creativity techniques into their working environment (e.g. aerospace industry). As an effect, we faced the challenge of creating a common language that will give designers recommendations about the functionality of the idSpace groupware system. In general, people within a discipline often have trouble communicating their ideas and decisions to other specialists (Borchers, 2001). One of the challenges in groupware system design, which is a multidisciplinary task, is to develop effective techniques for making specialists’ knowledge and assumptions more explicit, and easier for the specialists from other disciplines to understand and refer to. In the next sections we present two design patterns about well known creativity techniques. A full list of the available strategies that could be transformed into patterns can be found in the State of the Art in Tools for Creativity (idSpace D2.1, 2009). What are the Flow Design Patterns about creativity techniques According to Goodyear (2005) and Hernández Leo et al. (2005) pedagogical strategies that foster collaboration can be described via design patterns. Actually, various pedagogical design patterns have been published. Creativity techniques that foster collaboration can be also described via design patterns and especially via the specific type of design patterns called flow design patterns (FDP). This is due to the fact that creativity techniques (e.g. Six-Hats, SCAMPER, TRIZ, Disney etc.) are considered to be task-oriented. Thus the FDPs can clearly explain the set of tasks that are needed to be performed by people who participate into the creativity process. The term “flow pattern” was originally coined by Hernández Leo et al. (2005) to portray coordination and sequencing of tasks of a (learning) process. Thus, the FDP define the sequence of the tasks that the technique dictates as well as other elements needed for the various tasks, such as the duration of a task, the use of a particular tool for a given task and so on. The structure of a FDP includes elements such as design problem’s description, the related context and a documented solution suggestion for this problem with concrete examples. Table 1 shows in detail the format of a FDP which is similar to the suggestion of CLFP (Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns) by (Hernandez-Leo et. al, 2005). We have chosen this specific format since it is detailed and situated by Hernández Leo et. al, that it is very useful and fully understandable by practitioners which are the final recipients of our FDPs. Since our design patterns are not system patterns we are using a more actor playing description, a description that the FDPs can attribute. Table 1. The flow design pattern format Element Explanation Name Name of the FDP Context Environment type in which the FDP could be D1 - 2 applied (state an example from a real-world learning activity capable of being structured according to the FDP) as well as the forces that create the problem Example One example that states the need of the FDP Forces The contradictory considerations that must be taken into account when choosing a solution to a problem. Problem Problem to be solved by the FDP Solution Description of the proposal by the FDP for solving the problem Types of Tasks Types of tasks, together with their sequence, performed by the actors involved in the activity. Types and structure Description of the types of groups of learners of Groups identified and how they are related Consequences A description of the results, side effects, and trade offs caused by using the pattern Related Patterns Other patterns that have some relationship with the pattern; discussion of the differences between the pattern and similar patterns Examples – Known Examples of real usages of the pattern uses References References that correlate with the pattern Related Patterns Thumbnail of the related patterns Thumbnails The flow design pattern of the “Six Thinking Hats” technique Name: Six Thinking Hats Context In everyday life (academic, professional, or political), problem solving and/or decision making is often a result of collaboration within a group of people with different thinking and planning styles. Group members contribute according to their personality, inner strengths and thinking styles. Some people think strategically, methodically and with great discipline, trying to foresee possible consequences, while others often “listen to their hearts”. Some people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint, showing resistance to change, while at the same time they don't make creative leaps. Other people are used to a more intuitive approach to problem solving which makes them engage with D1 - 3 passion into new ideas that might not be very realistic based on socio-technical constrains of the context. It is necessary, however, to hear all voices and examine a problem and possible solutions from various perspectives in order to achieve pluralism in depicting the ideal solution. Example: Let’s assume that a town council is trying to decide whether or not several local school buildings should be combined into a new one, and what the options are for the use of the old buildings if those become vacant. The decision makers have to analyze all options, critically determine the advantages and disadvantages of the suggested solutions, and do a risk assessment of the outcomes before ending up with creative final solutions. Forces Six Thinking Hats creativity method can be used when there are time constraints. The formation of groups (applying a hat) is very easy while at the same time there is no need of specific competencies of the participants. It is also proposed when the need of several different opinions can be heard instead of getting as outcome one and final decision. The complexity of this method is minor since no preparation from the participants is needed. Problem How can groups make sure that all possible (practical as well as emotional) perspectives have been examined during a problem solving or a decision making process? Solution Use a technique where you can approach the solution to your problem from different perspectives. “Using the Six Thinking Hats technique for looking at a problem, decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution, sensitivity, creativity and good contingency planning.” as de Bono stated (1992), This technique assists groups in creating a complete and concrete view of the problem to be solved, by considering diverse thinking styles and incorporating multiple views. Groups are able to discuss the full complexity of their decisions, and identify possible drawbacks or benefits which might not, otherwise, be noticed. Types of Tasks The collaboration process is broken down into six “Divisions”, each corresponding to a thinking style and represented by a “Thinking Hat”. Members have to perform their thinking within each division. The guidelines for each division are: White Hat: be neutral, objective, and unbiased Red Hat: be intuitive, emotional, and instinctive Black Hat: be pessimistic & judgmental; think of disadvantages Yellow Hat: be optimistic, and hopeful; think positively Green Hat: be creative, think out-of-the box (new perspectives) Blue Hat: manage, coordinate, summarize, facilitate In the following paragraphs all divisions will be described in detail. White Hat: Members who are working on the problem under the White Hat need to collect data, group those, and interpret information objectively and accurately.
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